There appears to be a lot to like. After all, the data analysis company — which spun out of a Stanford University research project in 2003 — has been profitable since the first quarter of last year. It also is growing, both in revenue and employees.

Tableau says that it has experienced 14 consecutive quarters of revenue growth and currently has openings for 30 new positions, adding to its staff of 75.

From the early days, Tableau has expressed a desire to build a very large business. In 2004, Chief Executive Christian Chabot delicately compared the startup to Google. (Both got started at Stanford.) And in 2006, Chabot confidently told me that “we believe Tableau is the next billion-dollar company from Seattle.”

Tableau’s software creates graphical or visual displays of data so that corporate users can make more sense out of spreadsheets and other documents. That has uses in various industries, from media to biotechnology to finance.

Customers include AOL, Barclays Global, HP, Microsoft, Virgin Entertainment Group and Yale University, with the company to expand offerings overseas and in the government market.

Tableau also plans to use the money for product development and sales, with NEA’s Forest Baskett joining the board.

“Consolidation in the business intelligence industry is creating new opportunities for a disruptive company like Tableau to rapidly innovate,” said Baskett in a statement.

Baskett is referring to a number of acquisitions that have occurred in the sector in recent months, including Oracle’s purchase of Hyperion Solutions for $3.3 billion, SAP’s purchase of Business Objects for $7 billion and IBM’s purchase of Cognos for $5 billion.

That’s a whopping amount of cash flowing into the market and could signal good things ahead for Tableau if it decides to fly as an independent entity or take the acquisition route itself.

Chabot, for one, believes there’s a void to fill.

“The sun is starting to set on the last generation of business intelligence companies, and the world’s leading corporations are adopting Tableau’s fast analytics products,” Chabot said in a statement.